The present invention relates in general to time locks for bank vault doors, safe doors, and similar security closures, and more particularly to electronic time locks having a micro-processor controlled display and program selector buttons and circuitry for activating drive motor means, providing a plurality of selective timing and security features governing operation of the time lock.
Heretofore, many types of mechanical time lock mechanisms have been provided for controlling opening and locking of bank vault doors, safe doors and the like, wherein the time lock has a movable bolt within the lock housing presenting a barrier blocking movement of snubber bar for the vault or safe door locking mechanism from its normal vault locking position and movable to an unlocking position permitting such movement of the snubber bar as will enable unlocking of the vault door locking apparatus. These have customarily involved one or a plurality of timer mechanisms which can be set to various time delay conditions, for example such as will prevent operation of the time lock to open the safe or vault door following locking thereof at the close of business day until a time lapse of 16 hours, or a time lapse of several days where a weekend intervenes. Time delay setting of the time lock mechanism for other situations, such as for short term lock out periods or other security restriction situations and the like require meticulous resetting of the timer units and introduce the possibility of incorrect setting or malfunction of the lock. Also such lock are dependent upon the accuracy and long term operational reliability of the clock work components of the timer units and are undesirably restrictive in the number of time related control functions which may be programmed into the lock.
An object of the present invention is the provision of a novel mechanical structural assembly for an electronic time lock having a visible display and a plurality of programming or function keys, interconnected with a microprocessor and control circuitry, including motor means for shifting a bolt mechanism between blocking and release positions relative to a snubber bar of a vault door locking system, together with drive motor means and associated motor driven drive train means, and manual override facilities, eliminating many disadvantages and restrictions of clock work timer unit controlled time locks.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of an electronic time lock structural mechanism which is reliable in operation over a long period of use and provides a backup drive motor mechanism to ensure operation of the bolt if malfunction occurs in the primary motor drive system, and which provides a wide variety of selectable programmed conditions for various security and time control operating conditions.
Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.